Not O2 shortage, but inadequate pressure led to deaths, says Tamil Nadu

CHENNAI: A day after two Congress-led states refuted the Centre’s statement in Parliament that no Covid-19 deaths were reported due to lack of oxygen, Tamil Nadu health minister Ma Subramanian attributed 19 deaths in the state to ‘technical issues’ such as inadequate pressure and “problems in the oxygen pipeline”, but not oxygen shortage.
“At least 19 deaths in government hospitals in Chennai, Chengalpet and Vellore were reported during the peak of the second wave of Covid-19 that were due to technical issues-…None of these deaths happened due to lack of oxygen,” he said in response to a question on why the state government was maintaining there were no deaths due to oxygen shortage contrary to CM MK Stalin’s claims. On May 7, Stalin had written to PM Narendra Modi about 13 deaths in Chengalpet and sought better oxygen allotment for Tamil Nadu. On Wednesday, the minister had said that there were no deaths due to lack of oxygen during the second wave.